Read More

The pair met in 2012 and McAllister became Mr Roddy’s carer in April 2015, unknown to his relatives, with McAllister claiming carer’s allowance.

McAllister started claiming Mr Roddy's carer's allowance in April 2015

The jury heard how there were no checks made on McAllister when he began looking after Mr Roddy at his flat in Gorton.

McAllister had no previous convictions but had been given two cautions for using threatening behaviour or words and possession of an offensive weapon.

Mr Roddy was in the latter stages of his condition and also suffered from pneumonia when McAllister ‘took it upon himself’ to look after him.

Mr Roddy family outside court

It was initially ‘well-intentioned’, but the pair lived in squalor and the defendant began to lose his temper repeatedly, lashing out and attacking the man he was supposed to be looking after. Despite collecting a carer’s allowance, he was not visited by the authorities, the court was told.

After McAllister was locked up, Mr Roddy’s sister Julie Wainwright said her brother’s death had ‘emotionally ripped the family in half’.

She added: “Justice has been done. 10 years, one year, nothing would have brought Paul back. It has come as such a shock to myself and my family and people I have spoken to this that this is not in place. I find it quite inconceivable. People need to start looking out for their neighbours and friends.”

Paul Roddy's sister Julie Wainwright says 'justice has been done

Defending, John Parry Jones said McAllister had ‘borderline learning difficulties’ and suffered from ‘below average intelligence’.

He had ‘no real idea’ what being a carer entailed, Mr Parry Jones said, and that he wasn’t visited by any authorities.

Mr Parry Jones said: “I don’t blame those in authority, but it is correct that that did occur. The defendant believed that by taking him in his flat, he would help him. It was ironic that he was recorded as being a carer, because in my submission he was perhaps one of the worse people who could have been selected.

Watch: Locked up in March

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

Click to playTap to play

The video will start in 8Cancel

Play now

“He was never given any assistance or advice. He frankly didn’t know what he was going to do.”

Sentencing McAllister, of Constable Street, Gorton, Mr Justice Mark Turner said: “There were a number of occasions when you lost your temper with him and lashed out violently. As a consequence of such blows, Mr Roddy died.”

The judge said he was satisfied McAllister did not intend to kill Mr Roddy, otherwise he would have faced a charge of murder.